The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:
U.S. PatentsPat. No.Kind CodeIssue DatePatentee8,328,055B12012 Dec. 11Snyder8,770,539B12014 Jul. 8Hsu
U.S. patent application PublicationsPublication NumberKind CodePubl. DateApplicant20140165261A12014 Jun. 19Morris20140291469A12014 Dec. 2Zito, Stafford20120080465A12014 Apr. 5SonNonpatent Literature Documentshttp://www.velocityclip.comhttp://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/anycase-tripod-adapter/
The smartphone product market continues to evolve rapidly. Each new device is embedded with the latest advances in electronic hardware, software, power management and lenses.
Most, if not all, of the new devices, are to be used by the operator in a handheld manner. Like a soap bar in the shower the smartphones can slip out of a user's hands. It's commonly accepted today that there are times when handheld operation requires augmentation or times where hands-free operation is preferable.
For instance, today's sequential image capture devices record images and sound via sensors which digitize signals into digital files for subsequent playback on data processing devices. In the case of captured image playback change in the X and Y and Z axes of the capture device during sequential image capture needs to be smooth and fluid to maximize viewer enjoyment. Exceptions to this rule result if the images are captured at a shutter speed faster than 1/250 of a second and subsequently viewed as still frames. Or optionally, if the recording device has a super wide angle lens attached, what would normally be unacceptable changes in the X and Y and Z axes may be more tolerable by the viewing audience. For recordings captured without a super wide angle lens to be viewed as simulated motion, movement of the captured frame within the X and Y and Z axes ideally must not be subject to changes perceived as non-fluid. Non-fluid changes can be very small, commonly called jitter or shake. Or the non-fluid changes can be large and sudden like when a young child gets a hold of the capture device while it is recording or the capture device operator falls, trips or gets bumped.
It is recognized that any sequential image capture device mounted to a “fluid head” on a rigid three-legged tripod will capture fluid and stable images if operated correctly but suffers from the requirement of being in a stationary position.
The reference standard for stable image capture of sequential images without mounting the camera to a freestanding inanimate object and anchoring it to the earth is the twenty plus pound shoulder mountable video camera. Gimbal, gyroscope and Steadicam® based sequential image capture mounting systems represent the state-of-art for image capture while the capture device and operator are in motion. Gimbal, gyroscope, and Steadicam® based systems require training, can be hard to operate, and while there are lightweight versions, if handheld, they quickly lead to operator fatigue.
The push toward convenience in the sequential image capture market has dictated the removal of weight and size in favor of pocket-friendliness and mobility. Popular capture devices usually fit in a coat pocket. The absence of weight, physical size and mounting fixtures render all prior image capture stabilization methods obsolete. Why carry a miniaturized capture device if you have to add a ten pound stabilization device? An additional side effect of the small size and weight of these new super-mobile image capture devices is their susceptibility to micro-level movements caused by body tremors, motion, and wind. Manufacturers of sequential image capture devices recognize the importance of a stable image and frequently implement electronic systems to remove micro-level image disturbances. The electronic image stabilization systems exist in cameras and lenses where the build cost and energy consumption parameters permit. As mentioned above one affordable and energy efficient alternative utilized on miniature image capture devices the GoPro Hero and Hero2 makes use of an extra wide angle lens to minimize the impact of motion on the X, Y and Z axes during shooting.
Recorded images with deltas in the x and y direction can be stabilized by means of computer-based post-processing of the sequential images via specialized software programs. This operation is time consuming both for the computer operator and the computer itself and requires mastery of the software applications. YouTube® has recently added this functionality as an post-processing option on files uploaded to the YouTube® service. However it should be noted that if the post-processing stabilization option is selected the processing time is increased and the image quality will degrade according to the level of stabilization which gets applied.
Because of how images are captured by the more light sensitive BSI (back-side-illuminated) CMOS sensors in the devices motion in the X and Y axes may produce wavy artifacts known as the “jello” effect. These motion artifacts result when the image capture device is moved faster than the image sensor can read the image.
Some day there may be suitable electronic means for stabilizing images. But given that fluid motion has become a “style” of shooting, stabilizing or providing enhanced control over motion in the X, Y and Z axes remains a top priority for sequential image shooters.
Prior art in the realm of non-electronic image stabilization include the following products/brands: Steadicam, Glidecam, EasyRig, Handgrips, Fluid Tripod Heads and Tripod Legs, Monopods, Manfrotto Fig Rig, Joby GorillaMobile for iPhone4, Owle Bubo, Mobislyder Camera Dolly, as well as a flag pole harness for monopod body mount and adjustable inelastic camera straps and adjustable moderately elastic neoprene Op/Tech camera straps. Also some professional video cameras are long enough to be mounted on a shoulder and held stable by the operator's hand and head via the eye socket pressed into the camera at the padded eyepiece/viewfinder. It should be noted that none of the above prior art is pocket-friendly or wearable.
A retention system which allows smartphones to be handled more securely should mount to monopods, tripods and other devices. The retention system should also enable windshield mount usage, desktop usage and allow the device to be carried in a pocket. Ideally the retention system would allow the smartphone to be used in every activity a user might anticipate.